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Reuben Kapur, Ph.D., the Frieda and Albrecht Kipp Professor of Pediatrics at the IU School of Medicine and a researcher at the Indiana University Melvin and Bren Simon Cancer Center, and colleagues discovered in pre-clinical and pharmacological models that cancer cells with a mutation in the KIT receptor — an oncogenic/cancerous form of the receptor — in mast cell leukemia and acute myeloid leukemia can be stopped.
Their findings were published online Sept. 16 in the Journal of Clinical Investigation and appeared in print Oct. 1.
According to Dr. Kapur, activating mutations of KIT receptors are almost always associated with a type of leukemia called mast cell leukemia. The mutations in the KIT receptor are found in about 90 percent of patients with this type of leukemia. In addition, activating mutations of KIT are also exclusively associated with a subtype of acute myeloid leukemia known as core binding factor leukemia. When KIT is associated with these two types of leukemia, the survival rate for patients is profoundly reduced in comparison to patients who do not have this mutation.
Dr. Kapur and colleagues investigated whether they could shut down the growth response that is induced by this mutation.
"We identified two new targets in leukemic cells bearing this mutation, which when targeted or inhibited, cause leukemia cells to die," Dr. Kapur said.
The researchers discovered that the two targets are Rac GTPase and Pak (p21-activated kinase). In return, they designed a novel Rac inhibitor — EHop-016 — that is considerably more potent than previously described inhibitors of Rac. They also demonstrated a novel role for Pak inhibition in leukemia using an existing Pak inhibitor.
Both are being tested in pre-clinical models to further examine their growth inhibitory properties as well as long-term treatment-associated toxicity.
Dr. Kapur said treatments for leukemia have remained mostly unchanged in the past 30 years. Thus, researchers continue to search for better and more effective ways to treat this debilitating disease.
"We've been looking for new targets and new ways of treating leukemia and special types of leukemias," Dr. Kapur said. "Leukemia is an extremely complex disease. It's a combination of multiple alterations in the patient's DNA, which eventually results in leukemia. Therefore, it will be very difficult to cure leukemia with just one drug. It will have to be a combination of multiple drugs, if we're to cure this disease."
Dr. Kapur is also professor of biochemistry and molecular biology, of medical and molecular genetics, and of microbiology and immunology at the IU School of Medicine.
Principal authors of the study were Suranganie Dharmawardhane and Cornelis P. Vlaar of the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences at the University of Puerto Rico; Ramon V. Tiu and Valeria Visconte of the Taussig Cancer Institute, Cleveland Clinic; Ray R. Mattingly of Wayne State University; Joydeep Gosh, Emily Sims, Baskar Ramdas, Anindya Chatterjee, Raghuveer Singh Mali and Holly Martin of the IU Department of Pediatrics, Herman B Wells Center for Pediatric Research; and Veerendra Munugalavadla of the Department of Cancer Immunotherapy and Hematology, Genentech Inc.
This study was supported, in part, by grants from the National Institutes of Health (R01HL077177, R01HL075816 and R01CA134777 to R. Kapur), F31AG040974 (to H. Martin) and T32HL007910 (to A. Chatterjee); a grant from the American Cancer Society (PF13-065-01 to A. Chatterjee); and a grant from Riley Children's Foundation (to R. Kapur).
source : http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/10/131004154345.htm


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Are Christians required to give 10 percent of their income to the church? Is it based on gross or net income? Would God accept less in hard times?
The issue of tithing — traditionally understood as 10 percent — has perplexed churchgoers for years. Interpretation and denominational practice usually set the tone for givers, often with tension between giving as law or "old covenant" or as grace under the "new covenant" — both biblically based.
Begin with 10 percent
"The principal topic of discussion at the morning session of the Southern Baptist Convention was the report of the committee on tithing. … The committee recommended the adoption of the tithing system, and that several state conventions, district associations, the pastors, churches and missionary societies educate the people up to paying systematically to God not less than one-tenth of their income," The New York Times reported May 12, 1895.
From its beginning in 1845, the convention has emphasized giving. Still today, the SBC is among denominations that encourage believers to give at least 10 percent of their income through their local church. Leaders of the two major faith-based financial service ministries — Crown Financial Ministries and Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace University — do as well.
Those who promote the 10-percent concept usually cite Malachi 3:8-11, especially verse 10 which emphasizes bringing the "full tenth into the storehouse" (Holman Christian Standard Bible). The passage promises that God will "open the floodgates of heaven and pour out a blessing for you without measure."
They point to Psalm 24:1 that everything belongs to God already, and to Genesis 14, the story of Abraham's paying a tenth as tribute to Melchizedek, the king of Salem and a priest to God. Tithing proponents also cite Proverbs 3:9 that calls believers to honor God with the firstfruits of the harvest. Again, the passage promises a blessing.
In an article by ministry staff, Crown calls the tithe "seed stock," based on 2 Corinthians 9:10: "Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness" (New International Version).
On his website, Ramsey insists God established the tithing principle for believers' benefit — teaching them "how to keep God first" and "how to be unselfish." The financial consultant also stressed that "God is trying to teach us how to prosper over time."
Tithing advocates encourage believers to continue giving at 10 percent, even when in debt. Ramsey believes those who cannot live on 90 percent of their income will not be able to do so on 100 percent. He also believes those who examine their budgets can still give "at least" 10 percent, regardless of their circumstances.
Crown stresses that believers have options, even while in debt. They could tithe on the amount remaining after paying creditors each month. Or they could commit to giving at least some amount to God, starting with less than 10 percent and increasing the percentage as debts are paid or as income increases.
If an individual's debts require all his or her income, the person can "tithe" by volunteering at church or by serving the needy.
To those who suggest the tithe is an Old Testament concept supplanted by the new covenant, Randy Alcorn, author of The Treasure Principle, noted on his blog, "However, the fact is that every New Testament example of giving goes beyond the tithe."
While he believes in the "superiority" of the new covenant over the old, he said he believes "there's ongoing value to certain aspects of the old covenant." Tithing is one of those.
Grace giving
Others advocate that under the New Testament, grace rather than law should guide giving.
David Croteau, author of You Mean I Don't Have to Tithe? and Perspectives on Tithing, believes that, while giving remains important, the concept is different in the New Testament.
"Tithing was a wonderful institution in the Mosaic law," Croteau said by email. "However, the Mosaic law, including the tithe, has been fulfilled by Christ. The tithe was connected to festivals, government and religion in the Old Testament and was always connected to the land of Israel."
He believes the New Testament teaches four principles for giving. It should be income-based or proportionate, based on Deuteronomy 16:16-17, 1 Corinthians 16:2 and 2 Corinthians 8:3, 12. Giving should be needs-based (1 Corinthians 9:1-14, 2 Corinthians 8:13-14, 9:12), generous (2 Corinthians 8:2-3, Philippians 4:17-18) and heart-based (Exodus 25:1, 35:5, 21-22, 36:6, 2 Corinthians 9:7).
Daniel Akin, president of Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, points to Matthew 23:23 and Luke 11:42 to show that the "Lord was concerned not only with what we give but how we give," Akin wrote.
He uses 2 Corinthians 8-9 when teaching his students about what he has termed "grace giving." Giving is an expression of gratitude for what God has done through Jesus, with the emphasis on generosity.
Akin said the Corinthians passage points out circumstances and difficulties should not interrupt generosity, financial giving is a reflection of believers' first giving themselves to God, and Jesus-followers "should excel in the grace of giving."
He added the Scripture also points out that willing generosity is "more important than the amount given," that believers should give through churches and other ministries that will handle gifts "judiciously" and that the generosity of some believers will encourage others.
American Baptist Churches-USA also encourages giving out of gratitude. "The tithe is, for Christians, not a legalistic obligation, but an opportunity for grateful response to God's grace," the denomination states on its website.
The group adds tithing is biblical but as stewardship and discipleship rather than as a legalistic practice. "American Baptists should see tithing as an expression of God's grace, not a legalistic way of earning grace. It is a response — not a requirement."
Those who advocate a minimum of 10 percent also encourage believers to give out of love. Ramsey notes on his website, "Read the Bible and take from it what you will, and if you tithe, do it out of love for God, not guilt."

subset: commoncrawl


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June 1
Wolfman – Emily Blunt, Benicio Del Toro
Lawrence Talbot is lured back to his family estate to investigate the savage murder of his brother by a bloodthirsty beast. There, Talbot must confront his childhood demons, his estranged father, his brother's grieving fiancee, and a suspicious Scotland Yard inspector. When Talbot is bitten by the creature, he becomes eternally cursed and soon discovers a fate far worse than death.
Alice in Wonderland – Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter
Alice, now 19 years old, returns to the whimsical world she first entered as a child and embarks on a journey to discover her true destiny. Bonus features include: Finding Alice; The Mad Hatter; and Effecting Wonderland.
June 8
Shutter Island – Leonardo Dicaprio, Jackie Earle Haley
When U.S. Marshall Teddy Daniels arrives at the asylum for the criminally insane on Shutter Island, what starts as a routine investigation quickly takes a sinister turn. As the investigation unfolds and Daniels uncovers more shocking and terrifying truths about the island, he also learns there are some places that never let you go.
June 22
Last Station – Paul Gramatti, Christopher Plummer
In honor of his newly created religion, Russian novelist Leo Tolstoy renounces his title, property, and family in favor of poverty and celibacy. For the Countess Sofya, his wife of nearly fifty years, this is the last straw! After she discovers his plans to leave the rights to his iconic novels to the Russian people rather than his own family, she decides to use every trick of seduction in her considerable arsenal to fight for what she believes is rightfully hers.
June 29
Percy Jackson and the Last Olympians – Sean Bean, Pierce Bronson
Percy Jackson is no ordinary teenager, he's the son of Poseidon and is accused of stealing Zeus' lightning bolt, the most powerful weapon ever created! With storm clouds brewing, Percy embarks on an incredible cross-country journey to prove his innocence, recover the bolt, and prevent a war among the gods that could destroy our world!


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Meditations & Reflections
A book of reflections, meditations and prayers for Advent and Christmas, Lent, Holy Week and Easter, Ascension and Pentecost arising out of conversations about faith, love, doubt and hope.
A series of Bible readings, prayers and colour images for each day of Lent and Holy Week, to invite reflection, contemplation and action in the world.
A new, smaller-format edition of Ewan Mathers' beautiful photographs depicting in detail the carvings of the restored cloisters of Iona Abbey, with text reflecting on the meaning of each design and information about the flora and fauna of the Isle of Iona and beyond, which most of the carvings represent. This use of symbols from the natural world reflects the close links of the early Celtic Christians with the land around them.
A book about the original Pearls of Life bracelet. There is a now a new version of the Pearls (available from Verbum Sweden at: https://www.verbum.se/fralsarkransen/fralsarkransen-av-glas-p52634417) where one of the beads is a different colour, but most of this book is still relevant.
Liturgies, meditations, reflections, prayers, poems etc that have been tried and tested with local congregations, often at ecumenical worship events. They celebrate the One who came to earth to live a fully human life, who understands what it is to be human. Material for Advent, Christmas, Epiphany, Lent, Holy Week, Easter, Pentecost and more.
A book of 28 short readings and reflections in response to the call back to the garden, back to full relationship with God and all creation. Suitable for group or individual use.
Annie Heppenstall points us towards finding God in all aspects of daily life and in the natural world around us. The book's many resources for individuals and groups include body prayers, bead prayers, a covenant of salt, shrine-making, contemplations for various daily activities, creating sacred space in the home, and a leaderless Eucharist.
Modern, relevant resources to accompany readers through Lent and Easter for many years, with material for Shrove Tuesday, Ash Wednesday, Mothering Sunday, Palm Sunday and Holy Week, as well as suggestions for a Lent discipline.
Advent & Christmas
Celebrate Christmas with reflections and prayers for each day of Advent. This effective antidote to the commercialism of the festive season can be used for individual meditation or group worship. The authors are former Wardens of Iona Abbey and the MacLeod Centre on the Isle of Iona.


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4 Cute Gifts with Seeds
Is there anything cooler than the gift of life? As we're getting ready for spring, it's definitely time to start thinking about lovely seasonally-appropriate gifts, so I rounded up four delightful seed-themed projects I found on Hometalk. Whether you have gardeners, plant-loving friends, neighbors you want to be friendly with, or anyone else in your life who might appreciate it, these gifts are easy to make and fun to receive: the customized note adds a handmade with love feel, and you won't have to spend hours laboring over a hot crafting table to get it done!
This seed tape is both cute and totally practical. As anyone who's tried to plant tiny seeds, keep them spaced properly, and keep them away from birds knows, it's tough business. A seed tape allows you to space them properly and it will hold them in place as they germinate -- the tape itself will dissolve into the soil as the plants grow, leaving nothing behind but some soil-enriching carbon.
You can make seed tapes for yourself, of course, or you can give them out to friends in lovely little parcels as Anne demonstrates here.
Will you be my Valentine? These lovely seed packets spread cheerfulness and joy, and you can pass them out to your Valentine or the community in general. To surprise friends and neighbors, slip them under the door or prop them up on the porch where they'll be sure to be seen!
Different holiday, but a great idea: everyone should have a grow your own pumpkin kit! You can totally make different kits for different fruits and veggies to pass out at holidays, keep around as presents for guests, and more. Personally, I keep packets of lupine seeds from my hybridized lupines around, as I often get compliments on their color, and love passing the seeds out to friends!
If, like me, you basically suck at designing things and your handwriting is atrocious, these free printable seed packets are definitely for you. You can use them to store your own seeds, or you can hand out presents in them -- either way, you'll look totally classy!
Katie Marks writes for Networx.com.
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Speaker-to-be John Boehner: More confrontation or a hint of compromise?
| Reading, Ohio
He grew up here in a small house with 11 brothers and sisters – a brood so big that when a young John Boehner first brought his girlfriend (and future wife) home for dinner, he told her that all the kids in the backyard were neighborhood friends. In fact, they were his siblings.
He worked at the family bar, the one with the moose head still hanging on the wall, to help pay his tuition to Roman Catholic high school by mopping floors and waiting on tables. Later he would take over a struggling plastics container business after the death of its owner, a baptism in small-town capitalism that shaped his views of the role of government in business.
As Republican House minority leader Boehner prepares to become the likely next speaker of the US House of Representatives in January, he will draw on his varied experiences growing up in this blue-collar town outside Cincinnati, as well as his two decades in the marbled halls of Congress, to guide him through what may be one of the toughest tenures as House leader in modern times. He will have to navigate a bumper crop of tea-party-infused GOP freshmen as well as battle-hardened Democrats at a time when the American electorate seems unusually impatient with its political leaders.
Boehner professes to be up to the task, in part because of what he learned in the sharp-elbowed world of saloons and siblings of his youth.
"You had to learn to deal with every character that came through the door," he said in a recent interview in his House leadership office. "Growing my business, building my team, and serving in this institution for almost 20 years, I think I understand the diversity we have around here and how to manage it."
Boehner will certainly bring fresh style and substance to the job. Though a committed conservative, he is not an ideologue or firebrand, despite the rhetoric he unleashed toward the White House on the campaign trail. Boehner is pragmatic, typically laid back, and habitually inclined to listen. He watched as House Republican leaders in his day, notably former House Speaker Newt Gingrich and majority leader Tom "the Hammer" DeLay, centralized power in their offices and made themselves the story – and, as a result, some say, fell before their time.
Behind the scenes, across the aisle
Boehner is inclined to work quietly behind the scenes. His instinct is to compromise, but he is not a bipartisan crusader and won't get out in front of what the Republican caucus is prepared to accept. His public image is that of the consummate Capitol Hill pol – the sharply dressed, smooth-talking lawmaker who once played as many as 100 rounds of golf a year while hitting up lobbyists for big checks.
Former GOP majority leader Dick Armey sees him as Dean Martin without the piano – someone who makes everything look easy. "He is a man wholly without guile," says Mr. Armey. "I don't think John Boehner has ever spent a moment of his life in intrigue with respect to anyone else. He is a serious workman and, unlike some previous speakers, doesn't require attention. He'll get the job done with little fanfare. It's not about him."
Now in his second rise up House leadership ranks, Boehner has built a staff on and off Capitol Hill and a network of loyalists and donors so durable that it has a name: Boehner Land. He is often caricatured for the color of his skin – a famously deep tan – but he may be more notable for the thickness of his skin. He's a survivor of fierce intraparty power struggles. If he holds grudges, it doesn't show. He likes to quote Reagan: Disagree without being disagreeable.
Boehner has been willing to reach across the aisle. In the first year of the George W. Bush administration, he forged an unlikely alliance with Sen. Edward Kennedy (D) of Massachusetts and Rep. George Miller (D) of California to move President Bush's top domestic priority: education reform. Notably, he did so over the strong opposition of powerful GOP colleagues.
But Democrats insist that Boehner's past record of bipartisanship has been more than eclipsed by his switch to relentless opposition in the Obama years. "Our work together on No Child Left Behind was one moment in time that has itself been left behind," said Mr. Miller, now chair of the House Education and Labor Committee, in a statement. "Everything since has been partisan opposition to issues of great importance to America's middle class."
Under Boehner's leadership, House Republicans counted it a victory to unanimously oppose the Obama administration's $814 billion stimulus plan, health-care reform, financial regulation, and small business tax cuts. On the House floor, he turned "Hell, no…!" into a mantra during the health-care debate and, more recently, while campaigning for Republican candidates. President Obama, in turn, repeatedly labeled Boehner an obstructionist out of touch with the needs of the middle class.
Will it now be confrontation or compromise?
What he would do with the gavel
When former Rep. Dennis Hastert (R) of Illinois was speaker, he set as a principle that he would only bring legislation to the floor if it had the support of "a majority of the majority." Boehner says he would not insist on that threshold, noting that he wants to open up the legislative process. That would make the chamber more democratic – with a decidedly small "d" – but it would also come with risks. Democrats could use amendments to maximize tough votes for the GOP majority – a standard tactic for the party out of power – and put vulnerable freshmen at risk in 2012.
"I said in 1991 and I'll say it today: What do we have to fear in allowing the House to work its will?" Boehner said in the interview. "All 435 of us represent 650,000 to 700,000 Americans. Every member ought to have the chance to represent the views of his or her constituents."
To do that, Boehner would have to direct the Rules Committee – which in recent years has grown more restrictive in offering opportunities to the minority – to change course. In a speech to the American Enterprise Institute last month, he called on Congress to rewrite the Budget Act of 1974 to make it easier to rein in deficits and pass spending cuts. He also called for a more open debate process and moving power out of the speaker's office to committees. "In too many instances," he said, "we no longer have legislators; we just have voters."
He ended that speech by quoting Nicholas Longworth, a former House speaker from 1925-31, who, like Boehner, was from Cincinnati. Mr. Longworth aimed to make the House more effective – to become, he said, "the most dominant legislative assembly in the world." Boehner called for empowering all members through committee work and possibly amending bills on the floor. "We should open things up and let the battle of ideas help break down the scar tissue between the two parties," he said.
Boehner and Obama
Despite their considerable differences, Boehner insists he could work with Mr. Obama. He says he and the president are "not close, but we get along fine."
"I've made it pretty clear that I came here to fight for a smaller, less costly, and more accountable government; that we need to focus on getting the economy moving again and creating jobs in America," he said. "And to the extent that he's willing to work with us on that agenda, I welcome the relationship."
But Boehner's rapport with Obama will be critically affected by the changing tenor of the House Republican caucus. When Boehner said on CBS's "Face the Nation" on Sept. 12 that he is open to voting for an extension of the Bush tax cuts that excludes Americans making more than $250,000, if that's the only option, House Republicans balked. GOP whip Eric Cantor (R) of Virginia fired off a statement the next day opposing that approach without mentioning Boehner. Boehner quickly dropped the point.
Boehner also embraced many tea party themes during the campaign, which he will now be expected to follow through on. On Sept. 23, House Republicans released a 45-page "Pledge to America" that called, among other things, for the repeal of "the government takeover of health care." Many tea partyers have repeated their intent to do so in the wake of the election as well as to push for a huge reduction in government spending. Obama has said only that he will consider "improvements" in the health-care legislation and is willing to seek "common ground" on budget cuts.
Boehner maintains that he will be able to work with the new lawmakers in his caucus, in part because he shares many of their values and route to power. The tea party candidates, he said, included a "lot of businessmen and women – a lot of really, well-qualified, sincere people who've looked up just like I did 20 years ago and decided it was time to get involved."
The accidental speaker
Boehner's path to Washington was not obvious or even likely. In the neighborhood where he grew up, it's a steep walk from Andy's Café, the family bar where he worked as a teenager, to the two-bedroom home that was a mail order from Sears, Roebuck. A small, three-bedroom addition, built by Boehner's father and twin uncles, helped ease the space crunch for the family, but the boys still often slept outdoors, weather permitting.
High school was a pivotal time for Boehner, exposing him to new worlds and social classes. A photo of a class field trip to Washington, D.C., shows a young Boehner standing out in a flashy madras jacket.
"I'd still wear that jacket, if I had it today," he said. "High school was one of those important points, mostly because I had grown up in a very blue-collar town. I went to high school and met a bunch of guys from other parts of town, who were clearly a lot more affluent than what I grew up in, and it just opened my eyes that there was just more out there."
He was, by his own account, not a great student, but found a niche in team sports like football, where he was best known as a center, or long snapper, for punts and extra points. Football coach Gerry Faust recalls Boehner's willingness to take the field, injured, when needed in big games. "He is a team player. He wanted us to be successful," he says.
"He understands what it means to be poor," adds Mr. Faust, who established Archbishop Moeller High School as a state football power before moving to coach at the University of Notre Dame. "Nothing came easy. He had to work for what he got."
Boehner's wife, Debbie, recalls her first dinner at the Boehner house as a highly regimented affair, with a whirl of new faces, sacks of potatoes, jumbo cans of green beans, and an assigned task for every family member.
"It was tough to go home and tell your dad: 'I think I might marry a Catholic, he's one of a family of 12, and he's a janitor,' " she said on a tour of Boehner sites in Reading.
Over time, Boehner put himself through night school at Xavier University, working a variety of odd jobs, including as a janitor, and later got involved in a plastic container business that he built up after the owner's death. Public office was nowhere in sight.
Businessman turns 'reluctant' politician
Then, in 1977, he got involved in his local homeowners' association. He ran for township trustee and, later, at the urging of a lobbyist for Armco, now AK Steel, Boehner ran and served two terms in the state legislature. "When he ran the first time, I thought he was crazy," Debbie says.
Boehner describes himself as a "reluctant warrior" in politics. "It was not really what I wanted to do," he said in the interview. "But I was frustrated with government, thought it was too big, spent too much, and was out of control, and as someone who was succeeding in the free enterprise system, I believed that the government was choking the goose that was laying the golden egg. And it still is, even worse."
When the local congressman got into trouble, Boehner sought and won his seat. As a freshman in 1991, he was one of the brash newcomers who attacked congressional perks and abuses. He also pledged not to carve out earmarks or pork projects for his district – a position that the GOP caucus only adopted, tentatively, this year. Minority whip Newt Gingrich drew him in to help draft the 1994 "Contract with America." When Gingrich became speaker, Republicans selected Boehner to chair the GOP conference. He was ousted in 1998, the year Gingrich resigned his post after Republicans unexpectedly lost five seats in the midterm voting.
The election of George W. Bush in 2000 gave Boehner another key shot at leadership, this time as chair of the committee responsible for the president's high-profile attempt to reform education. The only trouble was, many House Republican leaders were lining up against the bipartisan plan emerging from Boehner's panel. "It was a comeback for Boehner to get chairmanship of that committee, and suddenly there was this issue of his going right back into Siberia, probably forever," recalls Sandy Kress, Bush's education adviser.
A wink from George W. Bush
At one point, Boehner was playing golf with David Hobbs, the Bush administration's chief legislative lobbyist, who told him the blunt reality. "You're in big trouble; leadership is in revolt, you should expect a call from Dick [Cheney]," Boehner recounts.
The White House summoned House GOP leaders to a meeting three days later. Boehner's plane was late, and the meeting was well under way when he arrived. "[House Republican whip] DeLay was just dumping all over where I was going with this bill, and then [majority leader Dick] Armey chimed in and then [Speaker] Hastert, who had been an even-handed player through the whole thing, chimed in with DeLay and Armey," Boehner says. About this time, he adds, the president gave him a wink, then another. Boehner presented his case for reform, and at the end, Bush said: "I'm with Boehner; this meeting is over."
According to Mr. Kress, who was in the meeting, No Child Left Behind would have never made it through Congress if Boehner had bailed on the plan. He says one of the arguments Boehner made was the importance of not reneging on his agreement with Miller, the Democrat. "He said: 'I made a commitment and I'm going to honor it,' " Kress recalls.
The question now is how much cross-aisle dealing Boehner will be doing when the atmospherics in Washington are so different. To get anything done, one thing seems certain: He will have to be as supple in the halls of Congress as he is on the golf course, where he swings right-handed and putts left-handed.


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In the Name of God, Most Gracious, Most Merciful
His Will of Love
God's will of love is expressed in Quran it is in perfect harmony and consistence with His set laws, ethics and systems and with all of His attributes. God has precisely used the word "love" in Quran along with twenty two of its different Arabic derivatives to teach us that love is a logical and realistic feeling that conforms with our God-given gift of freedom (18:29, 2:148, 33:72). Because of our freedom of choice, we are to prefer certain things, people, morals, ideologies, talents, etc. In other words, favoring, liking, loving, preferring and making certain choices, all of that demonstrate our God-given freedom.
Our Creator has expressed for us that He, too, has His own preferences. He has cited for us His favorite traits and detailed for us who exactly is worthy of earning His love or His condemnation. Within Quran, God has stated who He loves or abhors, what He likes or dislikes.
The divine plan behind this is to set for us the basic guidelines for an ideal and righteous community and to help us realize what constitutes evil and what leads to corruption. Also, by stating what He loves and what He doesn't, who is worthy of His love and who is deserving His wrath, God has made it explicit that His will of love is based on condition; God's will of love is conditional and has its rules. By our own volition, we end up either close to or favored by God (in the bliss of Paradise), or far from Him (in Gehenna). We either follow His criteria of love or face the consequences of our own man-made criteria of love. This system is clearly spelled out in the following verses:
[3:30] The day will come when each soul will find all the good works it had done brought forth. As for the evil works, it will wish that they were far, far removed. GOD alerts you that you shall reverence Him alone. GOD is Compassionate towards the people.
[3:31] Proclaim: "If you love GOD, you should follow me." GOD will then love you, and forgive your sins. GOD is Forgiver, Most Merciful.
[3:32] Proclaim: "You shall obey GOD and the messenger."If they turn away, GOD does not love the disbelievers.
It is a myth and utterly illogical to believe that God has ever sent messages through any of His messengers, humans, scriptures or angels, to promote unconditional love. That flawed ideology would imply loving everything and every being including whatever and whoever God has decreed He abhors. God doesn't love His enemies and He sets for us the highest example of all traits (16:60). True believers love what God loves and disown what He disowns and abhors. We have been issued straightforward rules to deal with enemies of God. There is no general rule in Quran to love everyone or be kind to everyone or turn the other cheek for our enemies (9:123, 9:73, 5:54). Unconditional love is a man-made standard that goes against commonsense and ironically against the human nature. More important, it opposes certain ethics and commands in Quran and it doesn't follow the highest, most superior example of love set by the Almighty. It is a flawed, human wish to promote that God has ever advocated unconditional love.
Hypothetically, if God's love was unconditional, this would defeat the whole purpose of our existence on earth - the final chance to choose Him over Satan.. His love would serve as a permission to violate His established laws. There would be no straight or crooked path, no point behind any ethics or commands, because God's "unconditional love" would be awaiting at the end of the road to save us all. This is a myth about God that is based on conjecture and/or lack of knowledge.
We are obligated as believers and submitters to carefully study the boundaries set for us in Quran in order to pursue love in a safe and constructive manner - the manner that would please God alone within His guidelines to earn His love and compassion:
- God loves those who repent after they make a wrong choice and transgress His limits (2:222). He rewards them by transforming their sins into credit ( 25:70).
- God loves those who purify themselves (9:108, 20:76).
- God abhors the trait of arguing about Him without basis, or knowledge or divine teachings (40:35, 22:8-10).
- He loves the good doers (3:148) and he dislikes the evil doers (5:64). He loves the righteous (3:76), and righteousness is defined only by God through His teachings and commands in the scripture (2:189).
- God advocates justice and loves those who are just (49:9) and equitable (5:42). He doesn't love the unjust (3:57).
- He loves the steadfast (3:146) and He loves those who put their trust in Him (3:159).
- He doesn't love those who are arrogant (16:23, 4:36, 31:18) nor does He love those who are boastful, proud (57:23).
- God loves the charitable (2:195) and doesn't love the transgressors (7:55, 5:87), the corrupt (28:77), the betrayers or the unappreciative (4:107, 22:38).
- He has assigned Hell for His enemies (41:19, 41:28) and called them the worst creatures (8:55, 98:6). He doesn't love those who extend love to them or take them as allies while they are actively fighting God and His Truth (60:1, 58:22, 9:16).
- He does not love the wasters (6:141) and doesn't love the gluttons (7:31) or the extravagant (17:26-27).
- God loves those who strive in His cause (61:4), with no fear of any blame (5:54), united on His word (3:103).
In the light of Quran, we learn that God's love for us is always a consequence of our choice of loving Him the most and upholding His commands. He is in no need of our love. We are the desperate ones who need to earn His approval. This, in return, leads to earning our redemption and His support:
[39:7] If you disbelieve, GOD does not need anyone. But He dislikes to see His servants make the wrong decision. If you decide to be appreciative, He is pleased for you. No soul bears the sins of any other soul. Ultimately, to your Lord is your return, then He will inform you of everything you had done. He is fully aware of the innermost thoughts.
[61:11] Believe in GOD and His messenger and strive in the cause of GOD with your money and your lives. This is the best deal for you, if you only knew.
[61:12] In return, He forgives your sins, and admits you into gardens with flowing streams, with beautiful mansions in the gardens of Eden. This is the greatest triumph.
[61:13] Additionally, you get something you truly love: support from GOD and guaranteed victory. Give good news to the believers.
This temporary phase on earth is so short. May God help us to always remember that the end of our lives is like a blink of an eye and our only chance of redemption could end unexpectedly at any moment. Then, those who have not wasted their chance of earning God's love will surely be His favored ones. Those are the ultimate winners
[56:88] If he is one of those close to Me -
[56:89] then joy, flowers, and gardens of bliss.
[56:90] And if he is one of the right -
[56:91] peace is the lot of those on the right.
[56:10] Then there is the elite of the elite.
[56:11] They are those who will be closest (to God).
[56:12] In the gardens of bliss.
[56:13] Many from the first generations.
[56:14] Few from the later generations.
[83:19] Do you know what `Elleyyeen is?
[83:20] A numerically structured book.
[83:21] To be witnessed by those close to Me.
[83:22] The righteous have deserved bliss.
[83:23] On luxurious furnishings they watch.
[83:24] You recognize in their faces the joy of bliss.
[83:25] Their drinks will be spiced with nectar.
[83:26] Its spice is like musk. This is what the competitors should compete for.
[83:27] Mixed into it will be special flavors.
[83:28] From a spring that is reserved for those close to Me.
Peaceful Friday, salaam and God bless.


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Sugar Bowl: ESPN's Second-Best College Football Overnight Ever
Record College Football Audience for ESPN3.com
The Allstate Sugar Bowl earned an 8.4 overnight rating on ESPN, according to Nielsen, the second-highest overnight rating for college football in ESPN history. The game, a 31-26 Ohio State win over Arkansas, trails only last week's Rose Bowl Game (11.7), and all four BCS telecasts this month are among ESPN's top six college football overnights ever.
The 8.4 overnight rating - which only represents television viewership - is 17% higher than last year's Orange Bowl (Iowa - Georgia Tech, 7.2), played on the equivalent Tuesday night, and three percent lower than last year's Sugar Bowl (8.7, Florida-Cincinnati, played on New Year's night).
On ESPN3.com, the game was watched by more than 248,000 unique viewers for a total of close to 15.8 million minutes consumed, making it the most unique viewers ever for a college football game on ESPN3.com. Thus far, three of the top five college football games based on most unique viewers came from this year's BCS bowl games (Sugar Bowl, Rose Bowl and Orange Bowl).
Across ESPN's digital platforms (ESPN.com, ESPN Mobile Web & ScoreCenter App, and ESPN3.com), January 4 saw 106.7 million total minutes of usage to college football content across, an average of 74,000 users per minute. Highlights for the day include ESPN.com's 14.9 million visits, 34.8 million page views and 69.5 million total minutes, increases of 29 percent, 35 percent and 39 percent, respectively from the same Tuesday in 2010. Additionally, college football content on the ESPN Mobile Web generated 6.1 million visits (up 71 percent), 12.2 million page views (up 54 percent) and 19.8 million total minutes (up 148%).
Season to date, bowl games on ESPN3.com have delivered close to 124 million minutes consumed, up 183 percent vs. last year.
Tuesday's game drew large television audiences in particular markets, led by Columbus (46.2), Dayton (27.6), Birmingham (25.7), Cleveland (25.1), New Orleans (25.0) and Memphis (16.3). There is no metered market in Arkansas. The rating in Columbus is the highest for college football ever on ESPN or ESPN2 in that market (records begin in 2000) and is the highest for any market during the current bowl season..
ESPN & the BCS
ESPN's first year of exclusive coverage of the five BCS matchups will climax with Auburn and Oregon meeting in the Tostitos BCS National Championship Game from Glendale, Ariz., on Monday, Jan. 10. Overall, ESPN, ESPN Radio and ESPN3.com will present all five BCS Bowl games and ESPN 3D is providing exclusive 3D coverage of two BCS contests (Tostitos Fiesta Bowl and Tostitos BCS National Championship Game).
In addition, ESPN is providing extensive on-site studio programming and reports across multiple shows and platforms, dedicated web pages for each bowl, re-airs of classic BCS games, international telecasts of all five games, encore presentations of the National Championship and more.
ESPN's year-round commitment to college football includes more than 400 games, culminating with 33 bowls, and approximately 200 million people tuned in to college football 2010 regular-season coverage on ESPN, ESPN2 and ABC.


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When video of Mitt Romney dismissing 47 percent of American voters surfaced this afternoon, many media outlets found the surprising video newsworthy. Fox News, however, buried the remarks until forced to cover Romney's follow-up press conference late in the evening.
Today at 4pm EDT, Mother Jones released secretly-taped footage of the Republican presidential candidate speaking at a private fundraiser, where Romney declared to donors that his job is "not to worry about" the 47 percent of Americans who pay no income taxes, since they will "vote for the president no matter what." He described these voters as people who "believe they are victims" and believe they are entitled to "housing" and "food," among other things.
He said:
There are 47 percent of the people who will vote for the president no matter what. All right, there are 47 percent who are with him, who are dependent upon government, who believe that they are victims, who believe the government has a responsibility to care for them, who believe that they are entitled to health care, to food, to housing, to you-name-it. That that's an entitlement. And the government should give it to them. And they will vote for this president no matter what.
And I mean the president starts off with 48, 49 — he starts off with a huge number. These are people who pay no income tax. Forty-seven percent of Americans pay no income tax. So our message of low taxes doesn't connect. So he'll be out there talking about tax cuts for the rich. I mean, that's what they sell every four years.
And so, my job is not to worry about those people. I'll never convince them they should take personal responsibility and care for their lives.
CNN found this newsworthy, as did MSNBC. Fox News, however, ignored the story from 4pm, when the video was released, until after 10 pm, when Romney addressed the video in a press conference.
Even then, in a segment during On the Record, Fox declined to show the actual footage of Romney at the fundraiser, or even quote from his statements. Instead, only Romney's press conference defending his remarks was aired.
This omission is in keeping with the network's apparent efforts to help elect Romney.
This post originally appeared on mediamatters.org and is reproduced here with their permission. Media Matters for America is a web-based, not-for-profit, 501(c)(3) progressive research and information center dedicated to comprehensively monitoring, analysing, and correcting conservative misinformation in the US media. You can find it on Twitter as @mmfa.


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(visited by Mary Domaratzki Machado and M Machado)
24-Sep-2005 -- We had been planning this visit for the past few months and thought from careful examination of our topo maps that we would be able to get within 150 m by water. The greater than average precipitation this year would perhaps be to our advantage since previously swampy areas might be passable by boat.
We drove the approximately 600km from Winnipeg to The Pas on Friday and stayed the night with plans to get the confluence on Saturday (approximately 200 km) and stay overnight at the Wekusko Falls Lodge.
We arrived at the lodge and told the owner, Tony, of our plans. My first inkling that this would be a bit tougher than I thought came when Tony's reaction to our plan and map was the comment "All the way up there?".
We arrived at Herblet Lake off PR 393 by noon and set about getting the Zodiac and our gear ready. Safety was our number one priority so we had a satellite phone along with survival gear should an overnight stay be required.
We set out but almost immediately encountered some engine trouble. The motor was new and had been tested just days before and we couldn't easily determine the cause of the trouble. We plodded along at 10 km/hr toward our point. The weather wasn't ideal and we fought against the winds. After traveling approximately 12 km up the lake and having some careful discussions about the chances of us being able to make the confluence and still have enough fuel to return, we turned back. At the point of "failure" we were stil 8.8km from the confluence.
Although we failed to reach our goal, we felt that choosing to turn back was the only choice considering the mechanical issues. This area of the province, although not what I would consider remote, is still relatively untouched. While on the lake, we saw no other boats and little evidence of humans save the many bleach containers and flagged buoys floating on the surface of the lake which act as markers for fishing nets.
When we returned to the lodge, we discussed our failure with Tony. He made some suggestions for reaching the point by other means including snowmobile in February. After learning much more about both the location and the terrain, we plan to attempt this point again within the year.


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NASA's just finished an impressive experiment designed to test Einstein's general theory of relativity — specifically the "mass distorts spacetime" part:
Put a spinning gyroscope into orbit around the Earth, with the spin axis pointed toward some distant star as a fixed reference point. Free from external forces, the gyroscope's axis should continue pointing at the star—forever. But if space is twisted, the direction of the gyroscope's axis should drift over time. By noting this change in direction relative to the star, the twists of space-time could be measured.
Gravity Probe B's experiment was 47 years in the making, helped spawn 100 PhD theses, and required the invention of 13 brand-new technologies, including a "drag-free satellite." The four gyroscopes in GP-B are "the most perfect spheres ever made by humans... If the gyroscopes weren't so spherical, their spin axes would wobble even without the effects of relativity."
NASA finished collecting the data in 2005; now they've crunched the numbers. And yes, Einstein was right. The gyroscopes wobble in just the way general relativity predicts.
The first and most famous empirical experiment testing Einstein's theory was performed in 1919 by Arthur Eddington during a full solar eclipse. Photographs showed that the sun's mass caused starlight to bend around it.
(Image by James Overduin, Pancho Eekels, and Bob Kahn via NASA.)


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79% of ProBlogger readers identify 'finding time to blog' as one of their biggest challenges.
Last year I ran a survey among ProBlogger readers to identify what the biggest challenges that bloggers face are. A number of common themes emerged – one of the strongest can be summed up in these comments from readers:
- I just don't have time to blog like I know I should
- I can barely post once a week… how do you guys do it?
- After a day of work, kids and keeping a house running my blogging is getting neglected
'Finding Time to blog' was a massive emerging theme among ProBlogger readers. Other issues around productivity, effective use of time, questions about out sourcing and more were also common.
As a result I immediately sat down with my team here in Melbourne and we began to plan for a resource to help bloggers become more effective with the limited time that they have available to them.
The Creation of Blog Wise: How to Do More with Less
ProBlogger editor – Georgina Laidlaw – began a series of interviews with successful bloggers. We put together a list of 9. The criteria was that we wanted to find people who had full lives yet who also managed to create great blogs and social media presences.
The result is a fantastic new PDF eBook – Blog Wise.
Featured Bloggers in Blog Wise
We ended up with a fascinating mix of bloggers who not only had great blogs but who also managed family life, other employment, extensive travel, other businesses and more. Here's who you'll find contributing to this eBook:
- Heather Armstrong: Founder of Dooce, author of numerous books, mother of 2 kids (and 2 dogs)
- Brian Clark: Founder of CopyBlogger Media which includes CopyBlogger the blog, StudioPress Themes, Premise, Scribe and more.
- Amy Porterfield: author, prolific on Social media, contributor to numerous blogs, speaker, Mom and much more.
- Abby Larson: Founder of Style Me Pretty – a network of 12 sites which she manages with her husband Tait.
- Matt Kepnes: Founder of Nomadic Matt's Travel Site – constantly on the road travelling
- Jeff Goins: blogging at Goins Writer, writing a book, husband and…. he works a full time job
- Gretchen Rubin: Founder of the Happiness Project blog, author of 4 books, wife and mother of 2 daughters.
- Leo Babauta: Founder of Zen Habits and numerous other projects, author, minimalist and father of 6 kids.
- Darren Rowse (me): owner of Digital Photography School and ProBlogger, author, social media addict and husband and dad to 3 boys.
This 18,000+ word eBook is divided into a chapter for each blogger in which Georgina pulls out the nuggets from each interview. She has also pulled together a 10th chapter which wraps it all up.
Bonus Productivity Problem Solver
And as an extra bonus we'e included a 'Productivity Problem Solver' PDF which covers 21 common productivity problems for bloggers and quotes from each of the above bloggers on how they overcome those issues. For example:
- Can't Get Motivated? See what Jeff Goins has to say
- Having Trouble Focusing? Gretchen Rubin shares a tip
- Can't Keep Track of Post Ideas? Amy Porterfield shares her quick tip
- Got Writers Block? Darren Rowse and Heather Armstrong share what they do
- Got an Opportunity that you're not sure what to do with? Abby Larson gives you some questions to ask yourself
- Thinking of Building a Team but unsure how to Keep it Productive? Brian Clark shares some thoughts
- Feeling Overwhelmed? Leo Babauta will get you on track with his wisdom
- Been Putting Stuff Off? Matt Kepnes tells you how he gets things done
I'm really excited by Blog Wise because it not only pulls together some great bloggers into the one resource – it gives you a unique insight into how they go about what they do.
Reading it will give you some great ideas to apply to your own blogging but also some inspiration and motivation through hearing the stories of these bloggers too.
Grab Yours Today
Blog Wise and the Bonus Problem solver are PDFs and easily read on any PDF reading device including an iPad (you'll just need to download it to your computer first for uploading to your device).
Normally priced at $19.99 for a limited time and to celebrate its launch it is $14.99 USD.
Feeling a little dry? Can't fit all the blogging tasks in? Learn more about Blog Wise here or grab your copy directly from the button below.


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The Dance Department at Wesleyan is a contemporary program with a global perspective. The curriculum, faculty research, and pedagogy all center on the relationships between theory and practice, embodied learning, and the potential dance making has to be a catalyst for social change. Within that rigorous context, students encounter a diversity of approaches to making, practicing, and analyzing dance in an intimate learning atmosphere. The program embraces classical forms from ballet, Bharata Natyam, Javanese, and Ghanaian, to experimental practices that fuse tradition and experimentation into new, contemporary forms.
The emphasis of the major is on creating original scholarship, be it choreographic or written, that views dance within a specific cultural context, interrogates cultural assumptions, and is informed by a critical and reflective perspective.
Preregistration is possible for many dance courses. All students interested in registering for dance classes should access Wesmaps concerning procedures for acceptance into specific courses. Students majoring in dance or indicating strong curricular commitment to dance will be given enrollment preference in all permission-of-instructor courses.


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In my early days of blogging and column writing one of my most frequent topics was the war in Iraq. I was appalled by much of the media coverage and the fact that many politicians were willing to not only ignore the good work being done in the field by our troops, but to go so far as to smear them in an attempt to gain political advantage. It should not be surprising that the story surrounding the primary in NC District 7 struck a nerve with me. The latest news from the losers in that primary race is disappointing to say the least.
From the Politico story headlined "GOP Split Clouds McIntyre Race:"
Two unsuccessful Republican candidates in North Carolina have turned their guns on the primary election winner, endangering the party's hopes of defeating longtime Rep. Mike McIntyre (D-N.C.) in November.
GOP voters in the 7th District on May 4 nominated Ilario Pantano, a charismatic Iraq warveteran with a personal story many find compelling and a past encounter with military justice that gives others concern.
Among the latter is Will Breazeale, the second-place finisher and 2008 nominee against McIntyre, who told POLITICO on Wednesday he would do what he can to keep Pantano from winning the seat. He said the third-place finsher, Randy Crow, would join him at a news conference Tuesday in Wilmington, N.C., to discuss their plans.
"We're going to work against him," Breazeale — also an Iraq veteran — said. "If the Republicans don't like it, they can kick me out."
Breazeale says he has a moral obligation to oppose the nominee because of his actions in Iraq. "It takes a military man like me to explain to civilians how bad that is." Here is how Breazeale "explained" it following his primary defeat:
Buyers remorse is a tough pill to swallow. I cannot help but think that perhaps many who voted for Ilario Pantano are now realizing their nominee's claim to fame is the execution of two unarmed Iraqis? In turn, they are already attempting to set up a scapegoat (me) in order to justify his inevitable, massive failure in November.
Breazeale argues that Democrat incumbent McIntyre will use the issue against Pantano in the general election. If McIntyre is stupid enough to go that route I predict the tactic will be every bit as effective as it has been for Breazeale, and might even ensure the first Republican in 140 years takes the seat.
When Ace of Spades wrote about Pantano's primary win last week the first comment to his blog post was, "What are the odds his Dem challenger outright calls him a murderer anyway, even though he was cleared?" The response from another commenter was, "If it happens, I think the campaign will effectively end, since the D will have just ended his chances of victory and indeed his political career." They accurately predicted the tactic, but got the party wrong, although the accusations do sound a lot like those of one Democrat – Rep. John Murtha, who declared the Marines in Haditha guilty before all the evidence was in. Several years ago Pantano commented on Murtha's charges in the Washington Post.
Breazeale has announced he will be calling a press conference next week to continue this attack on Pantano. He is currently reaching out to various media outlets (most recently The Daily Beast), but I can't help but wonder if he might regret doing so if some of his own past is dredged up in the process. That would not only embarrass Breazeale, but it would continue to take attention away from the choice voters have to make in November.
Now that Will Breazeale and Randy Crow have lost, the focus of the race should be on the differences between Pantano and McIntyre rather than grandstanding by those no longer in the running. Pantano has pointed out that in spite of voting with Republicans on some issues, McIntyre's vote is for Nancy Pelosi for Speaker of the House. I expect to hear Pantano cite that and many other differences frequently over the next six months.
For those concerned about the charges against Pantano, as Jammie Wearing Fool points out, "Pantano's history is out there for all to see and he isn't hiding anything. A simple Google search will tell you everything you need to know."
Beginning in 2005, Blackfive's Matt Burden followed Pantano's case in a seven part series of blog posts ending with news that the murder charges were dropped and Pantano was exonerated. Burden wrote, "I know Marines who commanded Pantano…every single one of them support Pantano. Every. Single. One. The ones that I know would follow Pantano to hell and back." Burden enthusiastically endorsed Pantano in February.
The Politico headline cited in the beginning of this post is incorrect. The Republican party is not split. Pantano's two opponents lost and instead of honoring the wishes of the voters of NC's 7th congressional district, and the overwhelming victory they handed Pantano with 69 percent of the vote, the men are desperately trying to stay in the game. To do so they may attempt to split the party, but that is not going to happen.
Iliano Pantano is a strong candidate. He is young and energetic, as well as media savvy and a wonderful speaker. Most important, he appears ready to do the work necessary to win the race. His "100 Days of Work" videos remind me of Charles Kuralt's On the Road reports – in both production and entertainment value. (In the first video his barber talks with Pantano in a down home southern drawl about Mr. Smith going to Washington and "filly-bustering" and says he wants to see more politicians like that.)
Read Matt Burden's Blackfive posts regarding the charges against Pantano – all of which have been dropped. Read Pantano's book, Warlord. Go to Pantano's website and watch some of his 100 days videos and read his blog posts. While there watch his interview with Jon Stewart about the book. Then decide whether or not he is a candidate you might want to support.
Pantano recently posted the following note to supporters about his strategy going forward,
"We have much to do, but let's do it softly, and with honor and dignity. We are not looking for fights nor do we need to be disrespectful. Imagine a U-boat, that has just fired torpedoes and now moves quietly underwater to a new attack position. Don't ever confuse kindness, and civility with a lack of steely resolve. So get out there and smile. Kill them with kindness. These times are too critical and this race too important to succumb to emotion or foolish rancor. We will win by our rigorous faith and our discipline."
If you would like to help Pantano prevail in November and be the first Republican to win the NC 7th district seat in 140 years you can visit his website and contribute to his campaign. If you are short on cash or live far from his district, his campaign has suggested ten ways you can help him from the comfort of your own home.
Update: In my first draft of this post I misspelled Ilario Pantano's first name in the post title. I apologize for the mistake, which has been corrected. Since I wrote most of the post around 3 a.m. this morning I may find a few more mistakes. I apologize for those in advance.
(Crossposted at LorieByrd.com)


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A significant increase this weekend in TCP traffic with source port zero detected could be part of reconnaissance efforts in preparation for more serious attacks, according to security researchers from Cisco Systems.
There's usually no service on a system that listens on port 0 (zero), because according to the Transport Protocol port assignments by the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA), port zero is a "reserved port" and should not be used. Therefore receiving TCP (Transmission Control Protocol) traffic with a source port of zero is unusual.
"Generally speaking port zero traffic can be indicative of a possible reconnaissance attack, and may be a precursor to more serious penetration attempts," Craig Williams, technical lead in the threat research team at Cisco, said Monday in a blog post.
Attackers can use such abnormal traffic to fingerprint operating systems and network security devices, because different OSes and network equipment can respond differently to port zero traffic, the researcher said. "This can enable the attacker to make a more precise attempt to compromise a network."
Cisco saw a large spike in TCP port zero traffic Saturday, with an increase in both the traffic volume and the number of sensors that detected such activity. The magnitude observed by the sensors was five times higher than usual, Williams said.
The highest volume of traffic came from eight Internet Protocol (IP) addresses assigned to Ecatel, a Dutch provider of dedicated server hosting and content delivery services, Williams said.
"We do not know the intent of these packets," the researcher said. "This could be a simple research project to map portions of the Internet by operating system and service pack or it could be an attacker preparing to do something nefarious."
As a general rule, users who see port zero activity on their networks should treat it suspicious and should investigate the source, Williams said, adding that this port should be blocked in firewalls because it doesn't serve a legitimate purpose.
It's hard to speculate what the goal of the traffic might be since Cisco only revealed the source port for it and not the destination ports, HD Moore, the chief research officer at security firm Rapid7, said Tuesday via email. The scans performed as part of Project Sonar, a community effort supported by Rapid7 that involves scanning Internet-facing systems to collect data and improve security, use non-zero source ports, he said.
According to Moore, many intrusion detection systems and firewalls already drop port zero traffic so there isn't much benefit to using this source port. "If I had to guess, I would say the traffic is the result of a broken embedded device (SIP phone, etc.) or a new piece of malware with a bug in its scanning code," he said.
Even if the traffic picked up by Cisco's sensors is part of a reconnaissance effort by attackers, the scanned systems might not be attacked in the immediate future. According to the Cisco researchers, reconnaissance may take place months before an actual attack begins.


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EasternTea.com is proud to bring you high quality TeoChew teapots used by Chinese all over the world for tea-drinking. These teapots are made in ...
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Our directors were invited to INSEAD CEO Breakfast Meeting on May 2001
Tea drinking has been around in China since the Zhou dynasty. It has a long history in China. Besides drinking it as a form of leisure and enjoyment, it was also valued for its medicinal properties.
For our website, we are concentrating mainly on Chinese and Japanese teas. However, it is our desire to put up more information on other types of Asian teas as well, from countries as diverse as India to Kuching. We also hope to show you the nexus between western tea and oriental teas. This is because in our research, we have discovered that tea-drinking is one of the most important cultural elements that links the east and the west. Tea was brought to the west through trade and tribute missions. Later on, colonialism also brought this culture to the tables of Europe. In fact, tea was later grown on western colonies, destined for western export markets.
Besides tea-drinking, we feel that it is important to discern and recognize hitherto peripheral aspects of tea-drinking. These integral parts of tea-drinking include knowledge about the history of tea, tea ceremonies, use of tea tools and tea wares, appreciation of pottery, surroundings conducive to drinking tea, etc. In other words, we are going to talk about just about anything that concerns tea. We would also like to introduce a whole range of teas in our online shop that you too may savour the taste of such teas in your very own living room. We will also provide an online forum for anyone but anyone to discuss any issues pertaining to tea and to ask any questions pertaining to tea. We are also going to provide niche services such as authentication of tea wares and auction of valuable tea. Let us begin this journey of discovery together, tea lovers.
An introduction to Green tea
Green Tea is the most common tea in both China and Japan. In China it accounts for more than 50% of the tea crops. Every tea-planting region in China churns out green tea. The most famous of them all is biluochun. It is mostly cultivated in central China. Dragon's well tea is also well-known in China. There are roughly 33 different types of Green tea. [More... articles like this]
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BAGHDAD (AP) — Militants from the Islamic State group carried out a mass killing of hundreds of Iraqi soldiers captured when the extremists overran a military base north of Baghdad in June, a leading international watchdog said Wednesday.
The incident at Camp Speicher, an air base that previously served as a U.S. military facility, was one of the worst atrocities perpetrated by the Islamic State group in its lightning offensive that seized large swaths of northern and western Iraq.
According to Human Rights Watch, new evidence indicates the Islamic State fighters killed between 560 and 770 men captured at Camp Speicher, near the city of Tikrit — a figure several times higher than what was initially reported.
"These are horrific and massive abuses, atrocities by the Islamic State, and on a scale that clearly rises to the crimes against humanity," Fred Abrahams, special HRW adviser, told reporters in the northern city of Irbil on Wednesday.
The al-Qaida-breakaway claimed in mid-June that it had "executed" about 1,700 soldiers and military personnel from Camp Speicher. The group also posted graphic photos that appeared to show its gunmen massacring scores ofIraqi soldiers after loading the captives onto flatbed trucks and then forcing them to lie face-down in a shallow ditch, their arms tied behind their backs.
The grisly images, meant to sap the morale of Iraqi security forces, and the number of slain troops could not be confirmed at the time. Human Rights Watch said in late June that analysis of photos and satellite images showed that between 160 and 190 men were killed in at least two locations between June 11 and 14.
After the incident, the soldiers were listed as missing, prompting their families to stage demonstrations in Baghdad in an effort to pressure authorities for word on their sons' fate. On Tuesday, dozens of angry family members stormed into the parliament in Baghdad's fortified Green Zone after scuffling with security guards, causing commotion and arguing with lawmakers. They also forced the speaker to call a session for Wednesday on the missing soldiers.
The Human Rights Watch statement said the revised figure for the slain soldiers was based on analysis of new satellite imagery, militant videos and a survivor's account that confirmed the existence of three more "mass execution sites." The number of victims may well be even higher as more evidence emerges, the New York-based watchdog said.
"Another piece of this gruesome puzzle has come into place, with many more executions now confirmed," said Peter Bouckaert, emergencies director at Human Rights Watch. "The barbarity of the Islamic State violates the law and grossly offends the conscience."
Also Wednesday, the U.N. envoy in Iraq called for a public and independent investigation by Iraqi authorities into the fate of the missing soldiers and the recovery of the remains of those killed.
The investigation is needed "to locate and identify the remains of any who may have been killed, and to undertake all efforts to secure the release of any who may remain in captivity," Nickolay Mladenov said.
In his weekly address to the nation, outgoing Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki said Wednesday that a number of "perpetrators" of Camp Speicher atrocities have been arrested or killed and that "security forces were pursuing" others. Al-Maliki did not elaborate.
The onslaught by the Islamic State group has stunned Iraq's security forces and the military, which melted away and withdrew as the extremists advanced and captured key cities and towns. The militants also targeted Iraq's indigenous religious minorities, including Christians and followers of the ancient Yazidi faith, forcing tens of thousands from their homes.
Since then, the Islamic State group has carved out a self-styled caliphate in the large area straddling the Iraqi-Syrian border that it now controls.
In early August, the United States launched airstrikes on the militant group in Iraq, in an effort to help Iraqi forces fight back against the growing militant threat.
Also this week, the United Nations' top human rights body approved a request by Iraq to open an investigation into suspected crimes committed by the Islamic State group against civilians. Its aim would be to provide the Human Rights Council with evidence on atrocities committed in Iraq, which could be used as part of any international war crimes prosecution.
Associated Press writer Sameer N. Yacoub in Baghdad contributed to this report.
Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


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Ex-sailor arrested, accused of attempting to hand over sub secrets
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- A former U.S. sailor has been arrested and charged with trying to give classified information about how to track U.S. submarines to people he thought were representatives of the Russian Federation but were actually FBI undercover agents.
Robert Hoffman II of Virginia Beach, Virginia, was arrested Thursday morning for attempted espionage and is scheduled to appear in a Norfolk courtroom in the afternoon.
According to the indictment, on October 21 Hoffman tried to hand over national defense information to people he thought were representatives of the Russian government, including classified information "that revealed and pertained to methods to track U.S. submarines, including the technology and procedures required."
The government alleges Hoffman intended to harm the United States and give and advantage to the Russian Federation. The court documents do not state whether Hoffman sought any money for the materials.
But the information was given to FBI agents who were conducting an undercover operation. The indictment does not charge the Russian government with any wrongdoing.
Hoffman, 39, is described as a 20-year veteran of the U.S. Navy who was trained in cryptology and reached the rank of petty officer first class. He retired from active duty in November 2011.
Hoffman held security clearances, and prosecutors say he signed several documents during his tenure in the Navy promising not to divulge sensitive information.
If convicted, Hoffman could be sentenced to life in prison.


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ACTR seeks funds for a Middlebury to Rutland link
LEICESTER — Addison County Transit Resources (ACTR) will seek state funds to start a new Route 7 bus service that would operate between Middlebury and Rutland. Two communities that figure to be stops along the route — Leicester and Salisbury — are currently readying "park-and-ride" facilities for prospective users of the new service.
"It's the only section of Route 7, between St. Albans and Bennington, that does not have public transportation service," ACTR Executive Director James Moulton said of the proposed Middlebury-to-Rutland stretch. "It would make it possible for people to go from one end of Vermont to the other, using public transportation."
The new service would be jointly operated by ACTR and Rutland-based Marble Valley Regional Transit District (MVRTD). Together, the organizations will apply for $200,000 of the approximately $500,000 the state of Vermont has reserved for public transportation start-ups in fiscal year 2007, according to Moulton.
He noted ACTR sought funding for the Middlebury-to-Rutland service last year, but the Legislature did not end up setting aside money for transportation start-ups during fiscal year 2006.
If the needed funding comes through this year, Moulton said the new service would involve two buses — one operated by ACTR, the other by the MVRTD — that would make round-trip runs between Middlebury and Rutland during the early morning, mid-day and late-afternoon hours. The buses would run six days per week, Monday through Saturday.
Moulton added the vehicles' runs would be synchronized with other ACTR services — such as the Middlebury-to-Burlington route that has entered its second year. That Burlington bus has been averaging 55 riders per day so far this year, according to Moulton.
"It's ultimately going to serve multiple markets," Moulton said of the new run, which, if put in place, would allow customers to coordinate transportation from Burlington to Albany, N.Y.
He added the new service would make stops within individual communities along Route 7 to Rutland. Brandon, Pittsford, Leicester and Salisbury are just a sampling of towns that could be featured on the buses' itinerary.
Leicester and Salisbury are already preparing park-and-ride amenities for local citizens who may want to take the service.
Salisbury and Leicester have received Vermont Agency of Transportation grants of $10,000 and $12,500, respectively, to create designated parking areas for bus users, or local folks who simply want to car-pool.
In Leicester, the park-and-ride will be located on the west side of the driveway leading to the town clerk's office and Leicester Elementary School. In all, 10 spaces will be set aside for park-and-ride customers, according to Leicester Town Clerk Donna Pidgeon. Those reserved spaces will be paved and lined, probably late next month, she said.
Meanwhile, a Salisbury citizens' group is designing a park-and-ride at the site of the former town shed located east of Route 7, at the intersection of Maple Street and West Salisbury Road. The new lot will contain around 10 spaces, according to Salisbury Selectman John Beattie.
"Our town plan supports the use of mass transit," Beattie said.
He added a Middlebury-to-Rutland bus stop in Salisbury would "be a real asset for the community and would be in keeping with the vision for our town."
Moulton said ACTR will submit its grant application by Aug. 8, and learn later this year whether its request has been honored.


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When you save a session, LispWorks performs the following three steps:
If a saved session is run later, then it will redo the last step above, but see What is saved and what is not saved for restrictions.
Sessions are stored on disk as LispWorks images, by default within your personal application support folder (the exact directory varies between operating systems).
LispWorks IDE User Guide (Unix version) - 12 Feb 2015


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Rescuers search for girl, 6, missing after truck swept away
Dec 1, 2019, 9:05 PM
(Patrick Breen/The Arizona Republic via AP)
TONTO BASIN, Ariz. (AP) — Nine members of an Arizona family, together for the Thanksgiving holiday, were in an oversized military-style truck when they got stuck in a raging creek swollen by intense runoff from a powerful storm.
Four children and two adults got out and were rescued by helicopter, but three children stayed in the truck and it was later swept away.
Rescuers with helicopters, drones, boats, dogs and an army of volunteers searched frantically Sunday for a 6-year-old girl missing since Friday. Her brother and cousin, both 5, were found dead on Saturday.
"We want to bring her home safely to her family," said Lt. Virgil Dodd of the Gila County Sheriff's Office. "She needs to come home today, and we're going to do that today."
At dusk Sunday, rescuers said they found a shoe that might belong to the girl. The shoe was about 200 yards from where the family's vehicle got stuck in the creek.
"There was a shoe in the area where there was some interest in that debris," Lt. Virgil Dodd of Gila County Sheriff's Office told the Arizona Republic. "At this time, we believe that it may belong to the little girl that we're searching for."
More than 100 volunteers gathered near Tonto Basin, a small community northeast of Phoenix, early Sunday to help search for the missing girl, Willa Rawlings, the Republic reported.
"I cannot thank you enough," the girl's uncle, Nathan Sherwood, told the crowd of people ready to help, according to the newspaper. "This is about the only light in this dark situation."
Volunteers trudged in small groups through the muddy brush, toward the creek, to search for the missing girl, who was last seen wearing jeans and a purple jacket.
Willa's parents, Daniel and Lacey Rawlings, both escaped from the truck but their son, Colby Rawlings, and niece, Austin Rawlings, were not in the vehicle when it was pulled from the creek the next day. Their bodies were found about 600 to 1,000 yards (meters) from the failed crossing.
The creek crossing was marked as closed with barricades and signs, authorities said.
A National Weather Service meteorologist said the agency issued a flood warning for the region that includes the Tonto Basin area at 8:53 a.m. Friday based on data from an upstream flooding gauge.
Meteorologist Sean Benedict in Phoenix estimated that up to 2 inches (5 centimeters) of rain fell in the area, with some of the runoff coming from the snow that fell on nearby peaks.
The region got up to 4 inches (10 centimeters) of rain about a week before, Benedict said. "So the grounds were already pretty wet and that probably helped with the runoff."
Adverse conditions included heavy brush and slippery mud along the creek and frigid water from snowmelt, but officials said they remained hopeful.
Volunteers trudged in small groups through the muddy brush to search for the missing girl, who was last seen wearing jeans and a purple jacket.
"The Rawlings family are a fixture," said David Merrill, one of the volunteers, told The Republic. "They're the salt of the earth and they have done so much. Little League, school … volunteers for football … whatever it took, they've been in the middle of it."
Merrill came with a group from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Pinetop, about 130 miles (210 kilometers) east of the search area.
"The whole community's rallied around them to show their love and support during this tragedy," he said.
Dodd, of the sheriff's office, confirmed Sunday that the number of people rescued Friday night was six after conflicting reports on Saturday.


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I am so frustrated to have to say that the Senate leadership has decided not to bring a bill to the floor to do something about climate change this session. Here is what my friend Gillian Caldwell from 1Sky has to say on the subject, and I agree with her down the line:
I am furious and frustrated.
We're sweltering here in Washington DC -- living on a planet that just survived the hottest six months in recorded history -- and yet last week the Senate announced it plans to do absolutely nothing for the foreseeable future about our climate crisis.
Big Oil, Dirty Coal and their allies in Congress have succeeded once again in blocking bold climate action. As a result, they will continue to reap record profits at the expense of our health, safety and economic security.
It's time to show Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, our senators and President Obama the full extent of our outrage at their failure to take on the greatest crisis of our time.
Click on this link and send them a message and tell them two simple things:
They've failed to do their job on climate -- and you won't take 'no' for an answer; You'll hold them accountable for their lack of action.
This call isn't about wonky policy details: it's about expressing our collective outrage at the Senate's failure to do anything about our devastating climate crisis and the Obama Administration's failure to push harder for a comprehensive climate bill. They need to know there will be consequences for them.
The Senate does plan to pass a bill next week in response to the BP oil spill, but make no mistake: this is not a climate bill. And it will not address the root cause of that tragedy: our addiction to dirty energy...
I also think it's important to know where each of our Senators stand on climate and whether they contributed to demise of the climate bill or tried to help it stay alive. Here is a breakdown supplied to me by a policy analyst friend. These are the people who can be held directly responsible for stopping the United States from taking a world leadership role on climate:
Senators who were die-hard opposed to climate bill
- Lamar Alexander (R, TN)
- John Barrasso (R, WY)
- Robert F Bennett (R, UT)
- Christopher S. Bond (R, MO)
- Sam Brownback (R, KS)
- Jim Bunning (R, KY)
- Richard Burr ( R, NC)
- Saxby Chambliss (R, GA)
- Tom Coburn (R, OK)
- Thad Cochran (R, MS)
- Bob Corker (R, TN)
- John Cornyn (R, TX)
- Mike Crapo (R, ID)
- Jim DeMint (R, SC)
- John Ensign (R, NV)
- Michael B Enzi (R, WY)
- Chuck Grassley (R, IA)
- Orrin G Hatch (R, UT)
- Kay Bailey Hutchison (R, TX)
- James M Inhofe (R, OK)
- Johnny Isakson (R, GA)
- Mike Johanns (R, NE)
- Jon Kyl (R, AZ)
- John McCain (R, AZ)
- Mitch McConnell (R, KY)
- James E Risch (R, ID)
- Pat Roberts (R, KS)
- Jeff Sessions (R, AL)
- Richard C Shelby (R, AL)
- John Thune (R, SD)
- David Vitter (R, LA)
- Roger F Wicker (R, MS)
Senators who spoke out publicly against, but weren't die-hard opposition
- Evan Bayh (D, IN)
- Scott P Brown (R, MA)
- Carte Goodwin (D, WV)
- Judd Gregg (R, NH)
- Blanche Lincoln (D, AR)
- Richard G Lugar (R, IN)
- Ben Nelson (D, NE)
- Lisa Murkowski (R, AK)
- John D Rockefeller (D, WV)
- George V Voinovich (R, OH)
- Jim Webb (D, VA)
Swings (senators lacking the courage to publicly declare support of the bill)
- Susan M Collins (R, ME)
- Kent Conrad (D, ND)
- Byron L Dorgan (D, ND)
- Lindsey Graham (R, SC)
- Mary L Landrieu (D, LA)
- Claire McCaskill (D, MO)
- George S LeMieux (R, FL)
- Mark L Pryor (D, AR)
- Olympia J Snowe ( R, ME)
Everyone else, my friend believes, would have voted for the bill. If you don't find your senator in the above lists, you could call them and thank them.
Meanwhile, if you want to read more on the failure of the Obama administration to lead on this issue, Joe Romm at Climate Progress wrote a hard-hitting piece entitled 'The Failed Presidency of Barack Obama' in which he said that "Fundamentally, Rahm and Axelrod simply don't get global warming. They bought the nonsensical argument based on bad polling analysis that there was no good way to talk about it . . ."
Colin Beavan (that's me!) is now leading a conversation about finding a happy, helpful life at Colinbeavan.com. If you want to know how people are breaking out and and finding authentic, meaningful lives that help our world, check it out the blog here and sign up to join the conversation here.


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First of all, I have to start with thanking Nicholas for such a warm welcome. I am still a little surprised, but (at the same time!) delighted by the invitation to join the @installingorder.org community.
With respect to this post, I have had the additional privilege of being the last person to respond to the question of "Post-STS!?". I think the posts by Nicholas and Jan, have setup this conversation quite succinctly in terms of whether a world Post-STS would mean success or failure for STS as a interdisciplinary practice. I am going to shy away from this question. Mostly owing to my own biases (for the lack of a better word!), I have not been able to foresee this possibility.
I once asked Wiebe Bijker out of sheer curiosity, "What is NOT STS?" He smiled and said that every once in a while when he teaches a class, he asks his students to think of a problem that they think is outside the purview of STS and then, within the next few minutes, he turns the same problem into an STS problem. The trick, he said, is to understand that science, technology and society are thick concepts as well as "things" that are ubiquitous and the so-called STS toolkit is amorphous enough to be used productively to understand them.
So, within this context, I have tried to figure out what would a post-STS world look like? I have stared at the question for a couple of days now and then, I started to wonder when and how did the STS toolkit become concrete enough that we reached the stage of looking for a post-STS toolkit? How can I tell you what would be "Post-STS?", when I don't know the answer to the question: "What is STS"? To reach post-"Something", we need a present-"Something" and my feeling is that the present-"Something" for STS is still in the making.
STS remains in a state of becoming because we engage with "wicked problems" that first need to be described or explained (whatever your choice of methodology!) before a possibility of intervention can be imagined. We celebrate multiplicity, plurality, and alternative imaginations of knowledge(s), technique(s) and expertise(s) but don't necessarily resolve the problems that we try to elicit. Whether we simplify work within science studies as waves or enumerate traditions of recurring and partially overlapping preoccupations in STS scholarship, we are still figuring out new methods and strategies that have to keep pace with the development of new forms of technoscience. This entity/concept/"thing" called technoscience is NOT static enough for us to be able to situate ourselves concretely in a relationship with it.
Maybe post-STS lies within the hope of that resolving ways of engaging with technoscience or maybe it lies in our confidence to move beyond description or explanation to intervention, but, till then, it is the questions that we ask that makes STS unique: What is our place as humans in a world that is surrounded by "things" embedded in different and often conflating forms of technoscientific knowledge(s)?
[Contribution for Installing Order in response to the question: Are we living in a post-method world? What are its contours? How does it operate?]


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Does Europa have a Surface in Motion?
The surface of Europa was carefully examined for types of faulting. These provide evidence of the kind of stress (pushing and shoving) which the crust of Europa has undergone through time. By identifying the "pushing forces", scientists can figure out how the surface of Europa moves.
The surface of Europa shows many signs of icy-volcanism:
- smooth, unmodified plains
- puddle-like flow
- flooded terrain (see puddle-like flow)
- plates (example shown here)
- strike/slip faulting (similar to the San Andreas Fault of Earth)
This style of icy-volcanism proves to be different from either that of Callisto or Ganymede. (The other major moon of Jupiter, Io has a more conventional form of volcanism.) The difference has to do with heating in the interior of Europa


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Posts:January 2016
(VIDEO) Global Insights from a World Forum
by Barri Rafferty| January 29, 2016
Before attending the World Economic Forum, I spent a lot of time thinking about which sessions to attend and tried to cover diverse topics relevant to our clients and staff. I published a series of blog posts and hosted a webinar, yet there were still many questions left unanswered. As the delegate representing our agency, […]
Brands Can't Bank on the Loyalty of 50+ Consumers
by Andrea Barish| January 28, 2016
When I moved from San Francisco to New York City five years ago at the age of 50, I opened a checking/savings account with a new bank. I really liked my old bank. In fact, we'd been together for more than three decades—since my freshman year in college. I'd picked them because they were the […]
Top 100: The Digital, Social & Media Stories That Shaped 2015
by Stephen Waddington| January 26, 2016
The Ketchum Engagement Network is a community of digital and social practitioners across the world tasked with understanding what's happening on the internet, and looking for ways to better understand consumer behaviour and help our clients engage with their publics. Here are the 100 most important digital, traditional media and social stories that we spotted […]
WEF: The Imperfect Perfect Leader
by Barri Rafferty| January 25, 2016
At Davos, it is sometimes the event you walk into alone with no expectations that turns out to be the most thought-provoking, and last week's Harvard Business Review dinner at the World Economic Forum's Annual Meeting was just that. I signed up for the event because I truly enjoyed Bill George's book, "True North." Little […]
Six Tips for Brands to Get Smarter About Smartphones
by Barri Rafferty| January 22, 2016
Versions of this article appeared on CNBC.com and the World Economic Forum Blog: Agenda The remote control revolutionized how we watched TV—turning some of us into couch potatoes. We no longer had to manually get up to pick one of a few channels. The entry of the remote control in 1955 made channel surfing possible, […]
24 Hours in Davos
by Barri Rafferty| January 21, 2016
As Seen In… PRWeek Day one in Davos has come to an end and I can say with certainty that I've walked away with some important learnings – some that make me optimistic for the future, others that are more concerning, writes Barri Rafferty at Ketchum.


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We're jealous of Copenhagen as it seems like every 4 months the city hosts some sort of urban arts festival which Henrik shoots us photos of. This round they hosted the Galore Urban Art Festival. We'll have more photos from the entire event shortly, but first here are NZED1, NYCHOS and DXTR as they got some wall action going for it.
NYCHOS and DXTR
NZED1 working on his mural


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On March 11, 2011, Japan was hit by a massive earthquake–measuring 9.0 on the Richter scale –and a tsunami with waves up to 65 feet high, leading to a nuclear meltdown at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant. As a result, Japan's 54 nuclear power plants were taken offline for safety checks. The last one was powered down on May 5, 2012.
But in May, Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda, in the face of overwhelming public opposition, decided to restart Japan's nuclear power plants. Now, a growing movement is protesting the decision.
Weekly demonstrations, with turnout initially numbering in the hundreds, have been taking place on Friday evenings in front of the Prime Minister's office. People show up after work and school. And their numbers have been swelling, reaching into the thousands in recent weeks.
Japan is the third-largest consumer of nuclear energy, after the U.S. and France, and is followed by Russia and Germany. Japan is also the world's third largest economy. Nuclear power plants generate about 30% of Japan's energy needs. During the shutdown of its nuclear power plants, utility companies have turned to coal, oil and gas to supply electricity to industries and households.
Additionally, Japan, already the world's biggest importer of liquefied natural gas (LNG) bought record amounts of LNG last year to replace the nuclear energy.
Last July, former Prime Minister Naoto Kan called for a nuclear phase-out and proposed drawing a new energy strategy that reduces Japan's reliance on nuclear generated electricity. He proposed scrapping plans for 34 new nuclear power plants and questioned whether private companies should run nuclear power plants. Kan also said that Japan should work to increase renewable energy sources, such as solar and wind, and recently told the AP that the Fukushima disaster has "turned him into a believer of renewable energy."
Kan was succeeded by Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda on September 2, 2011. In his first speech, delivered that day, Prime Minister Noda – the fiscally conservative former Minister of Finance — announced that Japan will continue to phase out nuclear power plants, building neither new plants nor extending the licenses of existing plants.
But he also announced that existing nuclear power plants would be restarted after safety checks.
On May 30, 2012, the Union of Kansai Governments, an organization consisting of representatives from local authorities in the region including Fukui, gave its approval for a restart of the two reactors at the Oi nuclear power plant. The district is on the western coast of Honshu, Japan's main island.
More importantly, the reactors are in Japan's "nuclear alley," which includes 13 of the country's 54 reactors, and supplies the nearby industrial city of Osaka with power.
Nonetheless, most of the local governments are not in favor or a restart. Only two of 11 municipal governments within an 18-miles radius of the plants support a restart, according to a recent survey by Kyodo.
In response to the May 30 decision, up to 1,000 anti-nuclear protestors gathered outside the Prime Minister's office on Friday, June 1, beating drums and chanting against the restart as part of the growing weekly Friday demonstrations. But on June 16, Prime Minister Noda gave final approval to the plans to restart the two reactors at Oi. Although the restart does not need local approval, he sought to rally it in order to secure consensus.
Yet the public remains staunchly opposed to nuclear energy in Japan. Since March, weekly demonstrations have taken place on Fridays at 6pm in front of the Prime Minister's office.
According to Aileen Mioko Smith of Green Action, a Japan-based organization working to end nuclear power, "the demonstrations started out with 500, then several thousand and have now even reached 150,000. Each week, they have grown."
The first reactor at the Oi nuclear power plant was restarted on July 9. Thousands of people across Japan marched against the country's nuclear restart.
The second reactor was restarted July 18, and came two days after one of the largest protests against nuclear power in Japan since the Fukushima disaster, as tens of thousands protested in Tokyo.
And on July 20, the weekly demonstration expanded with an additional protest taking place in front of the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry.
The dissent on the issue of nuclear energy is bringing to the fore tensions between the political establishment and public will. Ex-Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama, who preceded Kan, joined the July 20 rally, saying, "I regret that politics has strayed so far from the people's wishes." Kan resigned last August and was succeeded by Prime Minister Noda.
The turnover also speaks to a crisis in the government, which has seen six ministers in five years and has largely lost the voters' confidence.
On the upside, Japan's Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Yukio Edano approved the introduction of feed-in-tariffs on June 18, 2012. This system has proven very beneficial in Germany, employing a percentage of energy use fees to subsidize renewable energy.
Japan hopes to ramp up its renewable energy to the point where it constitutes 25% to 35% of its energy source by 2030. Kazue Suzuki from Greenpeace says, "Japan could easily end its reliance on the nuclear energy. From May 5 to July 5, Japan was nuclear free. No single power plant operated and there were no black outs…Japan is the most ideal country for renewable energy. We have sun. We have wind everywhere. What is missing is the political will."
Last September, together with the European Renewable Energy Council, Greenpeace published the second edition of its report "The Advanced Energy [R]evolution: A Sustainable Energy Outlook for Japan." The document outlines three possible scenarios for Japan's energy future: 1) business as usual; 2) a nuclear phase-out and switch to renewables; and 3) a rapid switch from nuclear reactors, keeping them closed, and a transition to renewables.
"If Japan takes the third outlined pathway, it could generate up to 43% of its electricity from renewable energy by 2020," said Greenpeace International's Jan Beránek, who was involved with authoring the report.
Having weathered the worst of its summer heat and humidity with the majority of its nuclear power plants shut down bodes well for Japan's ability to phase out nuclear energy and shift to renewables. But it remains to be seen what the Japanese government will ultimately decide.
The government continues to be under scrutiny and pressure as a result of its handling of the Fukushima disaster and nuclear energy policy. On July 22, reports revealed an investigation into allegations that employees subcontracted by the Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) were pressured to underreport the level of radiation they detected at the Fukushima Daichii plant. And on July 23, Reuters reported that despite safety tests, Japan's nuclear power plants might not be prepared for another complex catastrophe.
But with the government increasingly in crisis and at odds with the public and with demonstrations rising, it looks like it will have to be the people's voice that forces a shift away from nuclear power.
Tina Gerhardt is an independent journalist. Her work has appeared in Earth Island Journal, Grist, the Nation, the Wall Street Journal, and many other publications. This article was originally published by Alternet.